Michigan licenses EMTs through the Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). You pass the National Registry exams once, and after that Michigan does not require you to keep your Registry card current. Everything below comes from the MDHHS EMS licensing pages, the Public Health Code and the Michigan Administrative Code, checked October 18, 2026.
Study aid, not a protocol. Nothing on this site replaces your course, your medical director or your agency's protocols. Built by an RN and former EMT. Headed In LLC is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) or any state EMS office; their names appear here only to point you to the real thing.
The national steps, briefly
A state-approved EMT course
Every state approves its own programs, all taught to the National EMS Education Standards. Most run 150 to 300 hours over three to six months.
A healthcare-provider CPR card
AHA BLS or an equivalent your state accepts, usually before clinicals.
The cognitive exam
The National Registry (NREMT) EMT exam: 70 to 120 adaptive questions in 2 hours, $104 per attempt, six attempts within two years of your course.
Your state's license or certification
The card comes from the state, not the Registry. The state's own steps are below.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)
Age:18 or older.
Course: an education program approved by the department. Honorably separated military health care specialists can qualify instead.
Exam: the law calls for a written exam proctored by the department or its designee plus a practical exam; MDHHS says that means passing the National Registry exams at least once at your level. You do not have to keep National Registry status after that.
Application: the Michigan EMS eLicensing Portal, paying at the end. The EMT license fee is $40 for the three years; volunteers with a life support agency that charges nothing can be exempt, and honorably discharged service members can have the initial fee waived. Applications are processed in the order received.
Background check: every applicant is checked through the Michigan State Police ICHAT system. List every charge on the application, misdemeanors and ordinance violations included.
Renewal: the license is good for 3 years from issue. Renew with 30 approved continuing education credit hours in the three years, or a Michigan-approved refresher, plus a current CPR card that was not done entirely online. Renewal opens 60 days before expiry; a 60-day grace period follows with a $50 late fee, then the license lapses. Lapsed more than 3 years means a new course.
From another state: a passing score on the National Registry exams at your level (it need not be current), the out-of-state verification form and the initial application; the reciprocity fee is $175.